Va. board sets hearing on abortion clinic regs

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — The Virginia Board of Health is conducting another public hearing on new abortion clinic regulations.

The hearing is set for Tuesday in Alexandria. A hearing was held last Thursday in Richmond.

This is the second round of public comment on the regulations. They have drawn the ire of abortion-rights supporters by requiring existing clinics to meet the same strict building standards as newly constructed hospitals. Critics say those standards could force most of the state's 20 existing clinics to close.

The board conducted two public hearings on the regulations last year. After the second hearing, the board reversed an earlier decision and voted 13-2 to tentatively approve regulations that do not exempt existing clinics from the building standards. A final vote is expected later this year.